R9 290X vs R9 390 vs GTX 970 at 1080p

[antobag]

I know there are a number of other threads discussing this but there seems to be a massive disparity of opinion when it comes to these three cards. As far as I'm aware, the cards have similar in-game performance but each have their own pros and cons, which are as follows (please correct me if I'm wrong):

R9 290X
- Many sources seem to assert that it yields similar FPS results to the R9 390
- Runs hottest and noisiest when under load
- Uses most power when under load (although not a lot more than the R9 390)
- Hardest to overclock (due to the previous two points)
- Cheapest (I can get it for £34 less than the R9 390)
- Good at high resolutions (although I'll be playing at 1080p)

R9 390
- Many current sources say that it yields slightly better performance than the GTX 970
- Runs cooler and quieter than 290X, but hotter and noisier than 970
- Uses less power than 290X, but significantly more than 970
- Harder to overclock than GTX 970
- Most expensive (I can currently get it for £7 more than the GTX 970)
- 8GB of VRAM, therefore best at high resolutions and perhaps better future-proofing

GTX 970
- Many current sources say that it yields slightly worse performance than the R9 390
- Runs coolest and quietest
- Uses the least power
- Easiest to overclock
- A bit cheaper than the R9 390 (by £7) but more expensive than the R9 290X (by £27)
- Not so good at high resolutions

My concerns are as follows:

1) I'm aiming to build a PC for both gaming and music production/recording. The only time I need my PC to be running quietly is when I'm doing production/recording. Seeing as the GPU will be hardly used during these times, would there be any noise difference getting the 970 over the R9's?

2) Overclocking aside, are there any other benefits for having a low power consumption other than having slightly lower electricity bills (and obviously a lower-wattage PSU)?

3) I'm on a budget. Taking all of the above into account and seeing as they perform similarly, should I just be going for the cheapest card I can get?

 

[96Firebird]

As far as concern #1 goes, most 970 and 390 (I think) cards have a feature that turns the fans off at idle until the GPU temperature reaches ~60°C. I think this would benefit you, but double-check before buying to make sure the card you're buying has this. Of course, you will still get noise from your CPU cooler and case fans...

Lower power consumption = lower heat output. This doesn't concern some people, but others care.

When looking at concern #3, go back to what I said about concern #1. I think that idle fan shutout will benefit you in your recording/production needs, so if the cheapest card has that then you're golden.

 

[Gundark]

1) Difference isn't noticeable (altough gtx970 is noisier by 3dB). During production your concern should be CPU fan.
2) Apart from that, there are no other benefits as I am aware.
3) Any of them is great for 1080p gaming. If you already have adequate PSU, go for the cheapest solution. I personally recommend to go for the used.